Building My Forever
by Artemis Leaena
Summary: FAGE6 gift for Beegurl13: I could build just about anything. From single family houses all the way to great, impressive public structures, I could build it all. But I couldn't build up the courage to build the one thing I desired most: a forever with her. EPOV (5 chapters ... all will post on 10/17); rated M for language
1. Morning, Boss

**FAGE Six Pack**

**Title: **Building My Forever

**Written for: **Beegurl13

**Written By: **Artemis Leaena

**Rating: **M (for language)

**Summary/Prompt used: **I could build just about anything. From single family houses all the way to great, impressive public structures, I could build it all. But I couldn't build up the courage to build the one thing I desired most: a forever with her. EPOV (5 chapters ... all will post on 10/17) Prompts: 1. Pregnant Bella and New Expectant Dad Edward; 2. Very Forward Construction Worker and Their Object of Desire; 4. Photo Prompt (Cowboy Couple 3 - attached)

**If you would like to see all the stories that are a part of this exchange visit the facebook group: ** **Fanficaholics Anon: Where Obsession Never Sleeps, or add the C2 to get all the stories direct to your inbox. ** www . fanfiction community/FAGE-6-pack/93625/

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**Disclaimer: **_The Twilight Saga _& all associated characters are the copyrighted creation & property of Stephenie Meyer. Any other publicly recognized characters, brands, quotes or "catch phrases" are the sole trademarked &/or copyrighted property of their respective creators. No copyright or trademark infringement is purposely intended with this story. The plot & any original characters of this story are the property of the Artemis Leaena. This work may not be reposted, reproduced, or translated into another language without the author's permission. This disclaimer will only appear once throughout this fic.

**A/N: **Thank you to my wonderful pre-readers, _**caz12771**_ & _**cotnut**_, for picking the hair up off the floor & gluing it back on my head when I ripped it all out, & for their general awesomesauciness! Much love to my beta, _**Tammygrrrl**_, for her speedy work & futile attempts at keeping me from pulling my hair out in the first place! :D

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**Chapter 1:  
Morning, Boss!**

Taking a long sip of my third coffee of the morning, I stood on the top of the stairs leading into the office trailer and surveyed my surroundings. It was a few minutes past seven o'clock, but the North Carolina June sun was already starting to burn off the misty morning fog. In another couple of hours, those bright rays would light this construction zone up, turning it into an open air furnace. I was glad that I had the air conditioned shelter behind me to hide away in during the height of the inferno.

It was my sanctuary from the noise, heat, and explicit conversations of the workers. The only time my calm was interrupted was when Jared, the foreman, would come in to review plans or report any changes or problems. Otherwise, it was just me in here … alone … and it had been that way since we broke ground back in April. That would all change today, and I still wasn't certain how I felt about sharing my space, but it wasn't as if I had a choice in the matter.

I didn't want to believe my new office mate meant that my boss, Jasper Whitlock, had changed his mind – or at the very least was having reservations – about having promoted me to On-Site Project Manager despite my extremely short tenure with the company, but what else could it be? Whitlock Developing & Construction, Inc. had recruited me straight out of college almost two years ago, and until last year, I'd spent my tenure with WDCI doing 'gofer'-ish type work that even the secretaries pitied me for having to do. I didn't mind paying my dues, though, and late last year, my patience had paid off.

WDCI had won the bid to renovate the main branch of the Charlotte library, and I'd been assigned to the team of planners – just as an assistant, but it was a start. I'd worked my ass off, putting in fourteen hour days throughout the entirety of construction, and when it was done, I'd been rewarded. When all the permits were processed and the green light given for the Eagle Glen and Plaza Hills luxury home developments to begin, I'd been placed in charge of the Eagle Glen site.

There had been some – I'll admit that I was among them – who had thought Jasper Whitlock had lost his mind in passing over more tenured people to head up the project, but he'd been adamant that I'd earned it. Things were going well as far as I knew, but on Friday, Jasper had stopped by the job site just as we were shutting down for the weekend and informed me that his sister would be joining us here on Monday.

My entire weekend had been spent wondering why he didn't take her with him to the Plaza Hills site, and I could only conclude that he was reconsidering my appointment. But Jasper was a straight-forward sort of man, and I sincerely believed that if he had any issues with my performance he would've spoken to me directly about them. He wouldn't send someone to spy on me. I didn't think so, at any rate.

Harshly blowing out the deep breath I'd taken, I made to return to my cleaning and rearranging but changed my mind when a giant blue pickup truck materialized from the gauzy haze tenaciously clinging to life despite the rising temperatures. It crunched to a halt next to my silver four-door in the graveled area to the rear of the office trailer, and I waited until its driver had hopped out and retrieved his hat and gear from a rear storage well before calling out my greeting.

"Mornin', Jared."

"Hey, Ed." He looked up and smiled at me, the hand he'd raised to wave going to shield his eyes instead. "What're you doing here this early? We don't usually see hide or hair of you until closer to nine."

That was true. Although the crew was on-site and getting set to start the day by eight, I didn't ordinarily arrive until a half hour to an hour later. There was no need for me to be here for the gassing of the vehicles, oiling, tuning, and arrangement of the heavier saws, or any of the myriad other tasks Jared oversaw at the beginning of each work day.

"Yeah." I chuckled as I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to avoid running my hand through the hair I'd spent too much time trying to tame this morning so that I'd look more presentable. "I've been here since six cleaning and straightening up the office."

"What the hell ever for?"

Surely he remembered what today was, didn't he? "Isabella Whitlock is starting here today, and I wanted to make sure she had plenty of room to set up her work area and such."

"In there?" He pointed lamely toward the metal box behind me, the whites of his eyes blinding me in his gaping incredulity.

"Uh … yeah?"

"Isabella's going to be working in there? With _you_?"

"Yes?" I drew out the question, not understanding where the confusion was. The boss's sister, and co-owner of the company – even though she was still in college and had yet to take an active management role in the business their father had left to her and Jasper – was coming, joining us on this project site. Where the hell else was she going to work?

He was still snickering but had managed to calm himself enough to talk, albeit brokenly, and around more chuckles. "Okay, boss. If that's what Jasper told you."

I wanted to question him as to what he meant by that last bit, but several members of the crew had arrived as we'd been chatting and were calling for Jared to give them their assignments.

"Two pieces of advice, Ed," Jared called out to me as he was walking backward toward the men congregating by one of the cement trucks. "First, don't take anything she says seriously or personally."

Jared stopped and swung his gaze to where two new vehicles had just parked. Jasper was climbing out of a large black truck bearing the WDCI logo, and a petite brunette dressed in faded, low-slung jeans and sleeveless white T-shirt was sliding out of a sleek, sporty red car. As soon as both feet were on the ground, she hip-checked the door shut as she pulled her hair back into a knot at the nape of her neck and made her way toward the rear of car.. The sun glinted off the teeth his gigantic grin was displaying when Jared turned back to me, pulling my attention from the newcomers.

"And secondly, don't show any fear … predators can sense that sorta thing." With that he gave me a mocking salute and pivoted on his heel, jogging over to the assembled men.

_What in the ever-living hell did that mean? _I wondered as I descended the three wooden steps and made my way over to where Jasper was talking to the woman with the red car as she retrieved some stuff from the trunk.

"All I'm asking is that you behave yourself with him. He's not like the rest of the guys, okay, Iz?"

Jasper's long-suffering sigh was drowned out by tinkling laughter as the brunette slammed the trunk closed. "Don't worry, Jay." Isabella flashed a gamin grin up at the tall blond shaking his head at her as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'll be sure to be gentle and make it good for him."

My choking cough alerted the

pair to my presence. I choked again when I got my first full glimpse of Isabella's face. Delicate chocolate brows arched over sparkling topaz eyes that were rimmed with dark, full lashes. A straight, narrow, slightly up-turned nose. Full pink lips that stretched out over even, white teeth into a welcoming – if somewhat mischievous – smile. Angelically glowing porcelain skin and a heart-shaped face.

I allowed my eyes to surreptitiously make a quick perusal of the rest of her. Ample chest. Narrow waist. Curvaceous, womanly hips. She was, in a word: stunning. And she was walking toward me, her tool belt slung over her left shoulder and her hard hat hooked onto, and swinging from, the end of one long, elegant finger.

"Morning, boss." She stopped cater-corner to me, her eyes raking down and then back up my body much slower than I'd permitted myself until her gaze locked with mine and she winked. "I guess I oughta go get to work. I'd hate for you to have to punish me on my first day."

"Isabella," Jasper started in a stern voice, but she ignored him. Choosing to wiggle her fingers in a wave goodbye to her glaring brother, blow a kiss at me and my gawping stupefaction, and skip – yes, skip – off to take her place amongst the crew.

"Is she always so –"

"Sorry, but yes."

"Why isn't she with –"

"She requested to be on your site."

My neck popped, I snapped it around so fast to face Jasper in all his chagrined glory. "Why on Earth would she do that?"

He heaved a weary sigh and scrubbed his hands over his face. "I don't know, Ed." His arms fell to his sides with defeated thumps. "Just … good luck."

Jasper clapped me on the shoulder, squeezing for a second before letting go, and turned to get back into his truck and drive away, leaving me staring after his dust cloud and wondering what the hell had just happened.


	2. Call Me Bella

**Chapter 2:  
Call Me Bella**

The entire trailer shook with the force of the slamming door, the action sending one last _whoosh_ of the dragon's breath baking the site today into the room before I was fully enveloped in the blessed coolness of the office. Too bad the air conditioning did little to quell the mortification and frustration heating my neck, cheeks, and other – lower – body parts. What should have been a routine inspection of the crew's progress for the first half of the day had turned into a circus sideshow of me stumbling, bumbling, and stuttering every time Isa … Ms. Whitlock … opened her delectably teasing mouth.

One would think I'd be used to the almost propositional taunting she threw at me by now since she'd been with us for almost two weeks. But no … I wasn't … not in the least. Whenever she would wink, stare, innocently touch my arm, shoulder, or back my body would come alive. Every time her little pink tongue slid suggestively from one side of her lower lip to the other while her cinnamon eyes burned a trail of fire up and down my body, I'd want to climb out of my skin … and into hers. And her words … my God … the things her words did to every one of my senses. I dropped down into my desk chair, hissing as the zipper of my khakis scraped painfully along the bulge straining against it. Slouching down to a semi-reclined position did little to relieve the pressure there, but it was enough to keep my dick from being tattooed with the imprint of tiny metal teeth.

My wistful gaze cut to the lock on the office door. Did I have time to take matters in hand and rid myself of my predicament? Probably not. Sighing deeply, I rubbed my palms up and down my face in annoyance. With my luck, Isabella would decide to interrupt as she had when Jared and I were doing our walk through on house number four, and there was no way I'd be able to survive an encounter like that. I barely made it out alive this time.

"_I want whoever hung this span of sheetrock to be in charge of doing so for the rest of the houses." I ran my fingers over the perfectly flush nail heads in reverence and turned to Jared in confusion. "Why weren't the first three houses this precise?" _

"_Because if you want something nailed right, you need a woman on the job," _

_Isabella's warm, seductive voice floated over to me, drawing my eyes to where she leaned casually against the door frame. Like the rest of the crew, she'd stripped off her shirt in the scorching heat, leaving her top half bare save for the two sports-type bras covering and barely containing her assets. The look made the cut-off denim shorts she'd taken to wearing last week look even more indecent than they usually did. As I stared, she raised a bottle of soda to her full, pink lips, wrapping them around the edge of the bottle opening and taking a long pull. When she lowered the plastic, that perfect mouth curved up into a smirk. _

"_Besides, these guys don't know what it's like to handle a big, powerful gun." Her eyes swept down and back up my front in a slow perusal. "But I'll bet you know a thing or two about handling a big gun …" those brilliant orbs, shining with mirth, drifted back down to linger on my crotch for a heartbeat or sixty, and the tip of her tongue danced from one corner of her mouth to the other before her eyes met mine again through her lashes "… dontcha, Edward?"_

_Sweat poured down my back, gluing my shirt to me like a second skin, and I ran my finger around my tie, trying to loosen it enough to breathe again. Her simply saying my name shouldn't reduce me to this quivering mess, but it did – I hated that I loved that it did. _

"_Actually …" I coughed and choked on my own saliva a little bit then cleared my throat and tried again. "I've ne-never a-actually used a n-nail gun b-before."_

_One chocolate slash of a brow rose and arched. "A handy guy like you? Why, I'll bet you've nailed all sorts of things, but I'd be more than happy to give you a few pointers on handling that gun."_

"_Yes," I gasped out on a high-pitched squeak, flames of embarrassment igniting all around my face. Clearing my throat once again, I attempted to recapture my masculinity. "Yes … well as for the … um … sheetrock … these seams are so smooth, Ms. Whitlock."_

"_Don't call me that."_

"_What?"_

"_Ms. Whitlock. I don't like it from your mouth. Besides, I think you and I are beyond such formalities. Don't you?"_

_Her words stuck my tongue to the roof of my mouth, and the wink she punctuated them with stuck other parts of my anatomy to my inseam. But her staring, her eyes open, beseeching, teasing, unnerving me in ways I never thought imaginable – it was comforting but restricting at the same time. I knew most everyone, including her family, called her Izzy, and I wondered if she wanted me to as well._

"_Iz –"_

"_Hm-mm." She shook her head, a playful smile flitting across her lips. "No, not that, either. I think for what you and I are and will be …" she bit her lip, dipped her head a fraction, and regarded me through her lashes once again "… you should call me Bella."_

"_Um … right … B-Bella." Why was it that having a special name to call her, one no one else used, suffused me with heat of multiple origins? "You did an impeccable hang job with the sheetrock."_

"_You should see what other types of jobs I can do smoothly when rocking sheets, Sugar."_

That had been the point at which I'd turned tail and ran away, the rest of the inspection be damned. At that moment, I couldn't have cared less if every building on the lot – except my office – collapsed to the ground. Jared had run after me, laughing but offering up apologies for Isabella's behavior.

"_She just likes to make people squirm, man."_

"_Yuh-huh." I wasn't interested in the whys, I just wanted to get as far away as possible and find some privacy to try to bring some semblance of calm to my swirling mind and raging body._

"_You shouldn't be too mad at her, Ed. I'm sure she didn't mean it. She's just … well … she's like that with just about everyone."_

"_Yeah, it's fine, Jared." I'd reached the safety of the trailer and just needed him to turn and walk away so I could take care of my problem. "I've got some work to do."_

I'd been in my office for a good fifteen minutes or so, but I'd yet to accomplish my goal of diffusing the bomb in my pants. Of their own accord, my eyes once again slid to the bolt on the single door. It would be so easy to roll over, flip it into place, and molest away these desires. I gave myself thirty seconds to talk some sense into my head, and after not being able to come up with a single reason not to give in to temptation – none that my raging libido cared to listen, at any rate – I rolled over lock the outside world out for an hour.


	3. To Your Birthday, Eddie

**Chapter 3:  
To Your Birthday, Eddie**

"What's she doing here?" I groused as I squeezed into a space at the small, raised table we were congregated around.

"Who?" Paul immediately rose up on his tip-toes and started craning his neck to see above the crowd.

The bar we'd ended up at for my birthday celebration wasn't exactly a trendy, overpriced club, but it was extremely popular with those who hated the club scene and so was rather packed tonight. Still, even with the multitude of bodies crammed in here tonight, I'd known the instant she'd walked through the door. There was a spark that ignited every one of my nerve endings whenever she was near, and I wished I knew how to turn the motherfucker off. I'd been avoiding her for the past week – ever since the incident with the lumber supply delivery guy – but now she was here. What the hell was she doing here?

"Iz, of course," James, one of the crew hands that had shown up tonight, "helpfully" supplied with a chuckle as he sat two pitchers of beer on the table between us. "Don't you know Eddie here is sweet on our Izzy?"

"No … I'm not." I slammed my now empty tall glass down, glaring at James and ignoring the snickering chokes and coughs that sounded suspiciously like "Bullshit" from my companions. Rolling my eyes at their antics, I grabbed up one of the pitchers, sloshing beer everywhere as I poured myself a refill. "Alright ... so ... maybe I do like her ... a little." Raucous laughter met my half-truthed confession. "Fine! I like her a lot … a lot more than I should. Are you happy now?"

Paul reached for the pitcher and looked to be about to say something, but Jacob beat him to it. "Why shouldn't you like her?"

"Because she doesn't like me the same way I like her." Given that they all knew her nature, I would've thought this was a given.

"Sure she does." Jake's beaming face shone from across the way. He was a good kid and the newest permanent addition to the crews WDCI regularly employed, but he wasn't the brightest bulb in the strand.

I took a deep breath and let it out on an exasperated sigh. "Listen, kid –"

"I'm twenty-one. Not that much younger than you," Jake interjected, his bottom lip pouting out a bit – thus proving my point.

"Semantics." I waved my hand in a dismissive gesture. "The point is, just because she flirts –"

"She doesn't just flirt with you." Jake was sounding like he was starting to lose his patience with me, which in turn was beginning to piss me off.

My spine stiffened as I moved into a defensive posture, feet shoulder-width apart and arms crossed over my chest. "That's sorta the problem, now isn't it? Isabella's not exactly discriminatory in her flirting."

Stony silence fell over the group, the oppressiveness of it sucking the surrounding air in and creating an almost tangible wall of muffled electricity with the lot of us at its center. Activity swirled about us, but it was muted, suppressed, as if our table and its occupants sat in the middle of the eye of a tightly compacted hurricane. Feet scuffled awkwardly back and forth. Throats cleared as quietly as possible. And eyes shifted, skittering from one stoic face to the next. No one wanted to be the first to punch an exit hole – lest they trigger a backdraft effect of the fire we could all feel brewing.

Jared, brave soul that he was, was the first to chisel a small fissure in the rapidly solidifying atmosphere. Clearing his throat louder and with more determination than the others had a second ago and slowly lowering his bottle of beer to the table, he tentatively asked, "Are you insinuating that Izzy is loose?"

"What? No!" I threw my hands up in surrender. "I didn't mean it like that … I swear!"

"Good!" A warm hand landed with a smack on my shoulder and squeezed with more force than necessary. "Because if you did, I'd have to dismember you and bury each body part in a different foundation around Charlotte," Jasper drawled good-naturedly.

His appearance and declaration succeeded in dispelling the remaining tension as everyone erupted into raucous laughter. I laughed, too, but mine was more a nervous chuckle. "Well … then … glad we cleared that up." I lifted and drained my almost full glass, chugging its contents in a single breath.

"Besides, Ed," Jacob interjected as if there'd been no interruption, "That wasn't what I meant, either."

"What did you mean, then?"

A blonde waitress slid between me and Jasper, setting a tray of shots he'd ordered with which to toast my birthday in the center of the table and brushing her breasts against my forearm. Even though it was probably accidental, the contact made me extremely uncomfortable – not in the pants-tightening sort of way that Isabella's attentions did – and I stepped to the side, mumbling an apology and thanks for the drinks.

"No problem, Sugar." She winked as she leaned back, once again brushing her boobs along my skin but with more pressure this time – that was no accident. "Was there anything else I could get you?" She offered in a "seductive" voice while batting her lashes at me and biting her bottom lip.

Yes. You could not ever touch me again. "Um … n-no … no thank you."

"Suit yourself, handsome. But if you change your mind, just holler for Bree, okay?"

Her hand drifted up my arm to my shoulder where her fingertips traced the seam of my T-shirt, and I shuffled farther away, causing her fingers to drop away. "Um … yeah … thanks again." I smiled politely, flattered and slightly unnerved by, yet uninterested in, her attentions.

With one last "come-hither" look over her shoulder, Bree sauntered away, her hips swaying in a ridiculous pantomime of a broken pendulum. Once she was out of ear-shot, the sniggers, ribbing, and outright laughter started – my awkwardness was always entertaining to whomever I was with when it was in full force.

"Shut up," I grumbled, snatching up one of the tiny cups of brown liquid.

"Aw, it's all in good fun." Jasper slapped one hand to the middle of my back and held up his own shot with the other. "To your birthday, Eddie."

A round of cheers went up and we all downed our shots. I coughed and spluttered a little as the whiskey burned a path down my throat and refilled my glass with beer once more, taking a soothing swig afterward. "Now …" I pointed the empty pitcher at Jake so he'd know I was talking to him. "What were you saying before?"

"Hold that thought, Jacob. As much as I'd love to stick around and watch a lightning bolt of comprehension finally shoot up Ed's ass, I don't think I wanna be privy to any more information about my sister and her intentions than I already am." Jasper declared and drained the last of his beer. "Besides, I promised Alice I'd only stay for one drink, and I don't care to have her pissed at me if I come stumblin' home drunk." He started to walk away but stopped and looked directly at me. "Eddie, you're good people, son, but you and my sister need to figure your shit out." He grabbed and squeezed my shoulder once again before turning to stride away, calling back for us to enjoy the rest of our evening.

Jasper's exodus threw Jake off momentarily, and he looked confused for a second, then perked up and grinned like a fool. "Right. What I was trying to explain was that it isn't that Iz doesn't flirt with only you. It's that she doesn't _only_ flirt with you. You know what I'm saying?"

Murmurs of agreement rose up, annoying me even more than my lack of understanding did. I didn't quite see where Jake was going with this and shook my head in the negative. I needed more information here. Jacob sighed in exasperation, several of the guys joining him but adding head shakes, eye rolls, and strangled chortles into their drinks.

Jacob growled in frustration. "Yes, Iz flirts with us and other guys, but –"

"Exactly my –"

"– she doesn't talk about us constantly," Jake continued as if I'd never opened my mouth. "She doesn't ask about us to each other or pout when we don't talk to her. She's not our constant shadow when we're walking around the job site. She's never specifically requested to work with any of us … or anyone other than you, for that matter. She doesn't watch us like a hawk from across a crowded room." He propped an elbow on the table and pointed one of his meaty fingers in the direction of the bar. "And she sure as shit doesn't 'accidentally' dump a drink all over attractive blondes that flirt with us and make us blush."

My head whipped around, my body following by sheer inertia, and found where he'd indicated. I couldn't hear what Bree was saying – even though it was obvious she was screeching her head off at Isabella. Bree was madder than a wet hen, her face mottled red, arms waving frantically as her hands swiped furiously at the front of her too tight shirt. All the while, Isabella stood tall and proud with her arms crossed under her glorious breasts – was it wrong that I noticed how much bigger they looked when not constricted by the sportswear she donned for work? – taking it in turns to look upon the flailing waitress with boredom and to shoot daggers in my direction … until she noticed me watching.

As soon as our sights locked, her hands dropped to her sides, her face softened in startled surprise, and her entire frame relaxed. Was it possible? Could Isabella really like me and be attracted to me the way I was to her? There was no doubt Bree's ire stemmed from something Isabella had done, since the blonde was clearly yelling at her, but could it be because of me? Had Isabella retaliated against Bree for the waitress having flirted with me?

The longer we stared, the more questions sped through my mind, and the more her demeanor morphed and changed. Isabella went from strong and confident to shy and fidgety, her eyes darting away from mine to various, unknown points around the room and back again. Each time her cinnamon-kissed gaze came back to me, revealing her growing unease, I felt less and less sure of everything I'd come to believe. But I wasn't a convert yet.

Without breaking the visual connection I had with Isabella, I inclined my head to the side so that I could speak over my shoulder. "So, because of all of that, you think Isabella truly likes me as more than just another flirt buddy?"

"Well … yeah." I knew if I bothered to look at Jake right now, I'd see a giant smirk on his stupid face. "Plus there's the fact that she told me."


	4. Good Night, Edward

**Chapter 4:  
Good Night, Edward**

My neck muscles protested as I tore my gaze away from Isabella and snapped my head around to stare incredulously at Jacob. "What did you say?"

As predicted, the smug bastard was smirking at me, mocking me with his grin. "I said, she told me that she likes you." The last of his beer disappeared down his throat, and he swiped his forearm across his mouth as he sat the empty glass down. "And now that I've rocked your little world, I'm gonna go see if that red-headed hottie dancing by herself will let me rock hers."

Gape-mouthed and feeling stupid, I watched as Jake strutted up behind the buxom woman, grabbed her by the hips, and whispered something in her ear that had her giggling. The two of them disappeared to a dark corner of the makeshift dance floor. How did he do that? How did he just walk up to a girl, in full command of the situation? It was something I'd never be able to do. Having lost sight of Jacob, my gaze flitted from one member of my party-goers to the next.

"Did she say anything to any of you?" Heads ducked and eyes averted as shoes, the ceiling, and fingernails became fascinating. "Why didn't any of you tell me?"

James had the good grace to at least look somewhat contrite. "We thought you knew, man. I mean, the way Izzy's been throwing herself at you these past three weeks, you'd have to be blind, ignorant, or a eunuch not to realize that she wants you." His apologetic façade melted into pure amusement. "Which of those would you be?"

There was no need to think about that question. The answer was clear as the day was long. "Ignorant." I slammed my glass down after chugging its contents and pounded my fist on the tabletop. I had definitely been an ignorant schmuck. "But not anymore," I snarled as I turned my back on my cheering companions and headed toward the bar where I'd last seen Isa–

No. Not Isabella … just Bella. That's the name she wanted to hear me call her, and if I was going to go after her, I would do as she had asked of me: I would call her Bella. I had only done so once before, when I had attempted to molest myself in my office to thoughts of her, and it had felt … "off." Thankfully, Alice and Jessica had shown up to photograph the display house before I'd gotten much further than unzipping my trousers and saved me from myself. I blame the situation at the time, because now it felt natural, second nature, a perfect fit to call her Bella. It was a beautiful name for a beautiful woman … who was no longer at the bar.

I didn't care if I looked like a loon spinning in slow circles, my eyes scanning every inch of the room, as I made my way to the bar. She had been here mere moments before. How far could she have gotten? Leaning over the metal railing that ran along the top edge of the long wooden counter, I tried to see if I could catch a flash of the sparkly silver tank top Bella was wearing, but I couldn't see beyond the swell clambering for the bartenders' attention.

A frisson of awareness prickled over my skin seconds before I felt delicate fingers dance up my spine. Smiling, I slowly pivoted on my heel. "Bel –" My greeting for Bella being cut off and changed into a startled and half-strangled, "Ah!"

"Were you looking for me, Sugar?"

"B-Bree!" My gaze frantically searched above her blonde curls. Please don't let Bella choose this moment – when one of Bree's hands was grasping my bicep and the other was sliding up the front of my shirt to trace the outline of the demon wing printed over my left pectoral – to magically appear.

Prior to having met Bella, I would have been more than open and receptive to Bree's advances – even if I would've been too shy and awkward to have initiated any of my own. I would have stuttered and stumbled my way through verbal foreplay and hoped that Bree would suggest we go to one of our houses to "get to know each other" – I never would have had the confidence to propose such a thing. But I had met Bella, and no matter how voluptuous and alluring Bree was – and there wasn't a straight man alive who would deny her status as a hottie – she wasn't who or what I wanted.

Sparing a downward glance at Bree's expectant face every other second or so, I tried to be as polite as I could. "I'm sorry, but no, I wasn't." My hand came up to wrap around her upper arms with the intention of gently pushing her away. "I was actually looking for a brunette that was here a minute ago. Did you happen to see where she went?"

Despite the pressure I was applying to her in order to distance myself, she managed to slink closer, plastering our bodies together from torso to thigh. I could feel her hardened nipples dragging along my chest as she rose up on her tip-toes to purr in my ear. "I'm sure whatever you wanted her to do for you, I could do better."

Against my will, my body had reacted positively to the intimate contact she'd treated me to, but as the hand that had rested over my heart found its way down to cup around my crotch, I had an entirely different reaction to the one she was likely hoping for. Tightening my grip on her biceps, I shoved her back as nicely as I could and scowled down at her. For years, my friends and family had been trying to encourage me to be more forward with women, and although this probably wasn't what they had in mind, I was about to make them all quite proud of me.

"Look … you're a lovely woman …" she simpered and smiled at my compliment, which only fueled my displeasure "… but I'm not interested." Her face fell into a pout that I'm sure she thought was flirtatious. "Now, I've turned you down twice. Please have a little self-respect, accept that I don't want you, and walk away with your dignity intact."

I heard her gasp of indignation and saw her stumble back a step or two as I released her, but I never saw the hand she raised until it cracked across my cheek. Heat bloomed across the area she'd assaulted, and I brought my fingers up to trace along the throbbing flesh. I thought I'd been rather polite in my rejection of her, but I guess Bree didn't agree. It was difficult to tamp down the gentleman in me, but somehow I managed not to apologize as she huffed, spun on her heel, and stomped away. One problem down and one more to go: I still needed to find Bella.

Resolving to put the Bree fiasco behind me, I began asking some of the people milling about if they'd seen a drop-dead gorgeous brunette wearing a glittery top and ass-hugging jeans. Some people wouldn't even deign to answer me, but the ones who did either couldn't recall having seen anyone who fit Bella's description, or wanted to know if she was single. I was just about to give up when one of the bartenders said she thought she saw Bella heading for the bathrooms. I thanked her profusely, ignoring the way she batted her lashes and stuck her chest out as she spoke to me, and pushed my way through the crowd to the hall where the restrooms were located.

It didn't take me but a second to find her once I rounded the corner. She was hunched over on a rickety chair beside the payphone at the end of the corridor, her back facing the entrance and one elbow propped on her knee, her forehead supported by the attached hand, as she talked quietly into her cellphone. At first, I couldn't hear what she was saying, but as I drew closer, her words became clearer.

"No, Alice, I didn't." Her hand fell away from her head and landed with a flop in her lap. "Because there was a skank-assed blonde bitch with her tits all up in his business," Bella whisper-snarled. "What the fuck was I supposed …" she stopped talking and smacked her forehead. "Oh for the love of … Alice, I'm going to be twenty-two. I can say 'fuck' if I want to. And you're thirty-three, so you can damn well handle _hearing_ me say 'fuck.' Now will you come and get me or not?"

There was a much longer pause, which fortunately wasn't punctuated with Bella abusing herself any further, as she listened to whatever Alice's answer was. I took this opportunity to exercise my ninja skills and inch closer to her without drawing attention to myself. I didn't want her to think I'd been spying on her, but I also didn't want to interrupt her yet.

Bella suddenly threw herself back in the chair and wailed, "But I sent Jane and Lauren home!" She slammed her head against the wall, banging it a few extra times for good measure – I guess – and closed her eyes, defeat seeping into her words. "Fine, Al. I'll go out and see if one of the guys is sober enough to take me home."

Without thinking of how it might startle her or how loud the scream she didn't disappoint with would be, I reached out and took the phone from Bella's hand. Raising it to my ear, I tried to calm Bella down with hand gestures and pleading looks as I spoke. "I'll make sure she gets home, Alice."

"Edward?" Alice sounded confused, and rightfully so.

"Everything will be okay, Alice. I promise." My words may have been spoken to Alice, but their meaning was directed at the lovely creature regarding me with wide, doubt-filled eyes. "I'll make sure to take care of her."

"Um … alright … if you insist, Ed."

"I do."

"Will you please have her give me a call tomorrow?"

"Of course. Good night, Alice."

"Good night, Edward … and good luck."

The line went dead, but I still tapped the "end" button on the touch screen before handing the phone back to Bella. Every instinct was telling me to run – run fast and run far – but I ignored the numbing tingle of fear that fractured my nerve endings and stepped closer to Bella, holding my hand to her.

"May I escort you home, Bella?"

Her gasp of surprise was the last thing I heard before her warm hand slid into mine, and an electric buzzing in my brain drowned out all other sounds.


	5. Epilogue

**Chapter 5:  
Epilogue**

_~One year … ish … later~_

It had been a long, exhausting, and frustrating day, and I was never so glad to see the still somewhat skeletal frame of what would be mine and Bella's first house together. I didn't count the functional – enough – trailer sitting off to the side of the house. It was temporary … transitory … it wasn't our home. Of course, so long as I had Bella to share it with, I'd consider a cardboard box home. Fortunately, I didn't have to put that conviction to the test.

Had someone told me a year ago that this is where I would be in my life, I would have laughed in their face – then politely suggested they either seek therapy, drug addiction counseling, or both. But this was my life, and I shuddered to think that it had almost never come to pass. I had almost been too afraid, too painfully shy and awkward, to grab my opportunity at happiness.

Fourteen months ago, I'd been a single guy dreaming and drooling over my boss's sister – who was also, technically, my boss … or one day would be – and too caught up in my own insecurities and doubts to do anything about it. Before that night last June, I didn't understand what I had to offer anyone. Granted, I hadn't exactly been a virgin, but I'd also never had a long term relationship. I hadn't even ever had a repeat performance with the same woman – not for lack of trying. But time has a way of working things out, and now, not only was I that woman's husband, but I believed I deserved her … most days.

Which wasn't to say that everything had been sunshine, rainbows, & daisy-crowned unicorns. Bella and I had had our share of battles, starting with the night of my birthday celebration. We hadn't necessarily fought, but it had been a struggle – for both of us – to strip ourselves bare of our armaments and lay our raw emotions on the table. And while that may sound flowery and girly, it was actually gory and – at times – ugly.

Somehow, through our self-sabotaging and stupidity, we'd figured things out. Nobody was surprised when they hadn't seen hide or hair of us for the rest of that weekend and then we'd turned up Monday morning a happy couple. We did manage to shock everyone when, two months later, we announced that we were getting married … that weekend! Our parents knew, but only because I'd needed to get my great-grandmother's ring from mine and ask for Bella's hand from hers. Everyone else was given less than a week's notice of our impending nuptials.

Despite the short turn-around time, Alice – wonderful, calming, patient Alice – was able to help my frazzled, frantic bride-to-be pull together the wedding of Bella's dreams. We had our ceremony and reception in Jasper and Alice's backyard, and had old Pastor McCarty officiate. It had only seemed right for him to do so. He had stood witness to every wedding, birth, and death in the Whitlock family for the past fifty years, and although he was retired and more than half deaf, Bella wouldn't hear of anyone else marrying us.

So it was, on a sunny afternoon exactly one year ago today, that Bella and I had stood before our friends, family, and God – me dressed in a plain white button down and jeans, and Bella in a simple white sun dress – and promised ourselves to one another forever. Everyone had cheered, and more than a few tears had been shed – he denies it, but Jacob was blubbering like a baby – when I'd scooped Bella up and carried her back up the aisle, eager for a little "alone time" before I had to share her with all and sundry. Afterward, we'd danced, eaten barbeque and cake, and celebrated until the wee hours of the morning with all of our guests.

Just thinking about that and how beautiful Bella had been, smiling up at me as if I'd hung the moon for her, had me eager for tonight. There wouldn't be any dancing, or rowdy parties, but I had plans to make my bride see all the stars I'd hung beside that moon.

With that thought in mind, I abandoned my memories and quickly made my way to the trailer, where I'd expected to find Bella resting. But she wasn't there. I ducked my head out the door, double checking that her car was indeed parked in the as-yet-to-be-paved drive. Yup. Her flashy red baby sat there, all shiny and useless – since she hadn't been able to drive it for the last few weeks, and it would be even longer before she could again. So where the hell was she?

The sound of a saw echoing from the back of the house caught my attention and had me swearing a blue streak a mile long. If my mama had heard even half the words I'd just said – twenty-eight and married or no – she would've cut a switch and blistered my backside … after she washed my mouth out with soap. Shaking off the healthy dose of fear I still held for my mother, I stalked across the yard, into the house, and toward the back, where the downstairs guest bath was located. I had hoped that I wouldn't find what I already knew I would, but my suspicions were confirmed when I burst through the bathroom door.

"What in the everlasting, holy Hell do you think you're doing?" I fairly screeched down at Bella.

Unperturbed by either my sudden appearance or my incredulous shriek, Bella slowly rose from her position on her hands and knees and sat back on her heels, the tile she'd been about to lay still clutched in her hand. "What does it look like I'm doing, Darlin'?" She drawled sweetly.

No way was she gonna charm me outta this pique. I crossed my arms over my chest and mocked her sugary tone with my own. "Why, at first glance, it would look like you're tiling the bathroom." She batted her lashes at me while smiling with all the condescending patience you'd show a slow-witted buffoon who'd just figured out the sky was blue. "But upon further inspection, what I'd say you're actually doing is trying to give your husband an aneurysm."

"Because I want to get the house to a point of livability sometime within the next month?"

"Because you know you're not supposed to be using the saws. Or doing heavy lifting. Or bending ov –"

A sparkle of unholy glee I was all too familiar with – and always receptive to but afraid of – flamed to life in Bella's eyes. "But I thought you liked me on my knees, Darlin'. Why, just last night you –"

"Bella!"

"Oh, for pity's sake, Edward," she huffed and grumbled as she hauled herself to her feet, having to grab my arm on her way up to keep her balance. "I'm eight months pregnant … not an invalid!"

She slapped the tile she'd been holding into the hand I still had extended from helping her to rise, popped me on the back of the head, and waddled away, mumbling about Slim Jims and stubborn, overprotective, idiotic, horny-sexy-times-blocking husbands.

I wanted to remain angry – though truth be told, I was more scared than mad – but how could I? Yeah, she was stubborn, feisty, independent, and often times infuriating as all Hell, but I loved that woman with all my heart and soul. I couldn't imagine what my life would be like if I hadn't built up the courage to seek her out that night, and I didn't want to. It didn't matter, anyway, because I had. And now we were building a house. Building a family. Together, we were building a forever.

* * *

**A/N:**

So there you have it! :) I hope you aren't too disappointed, Beegurl13 (& all the rest of y'all), but this is where/how Edward wanted it to go. However, Bella says that if I write a companion piece in her POV, she'd be more than happy to fill in all the details you want! Thank you for reading this little ditty & for all the love you left it! *big big hearts* :)

Again...massive thanks to _**caz12771**_, _**cotnut**_, & _**Tammygrrrl** _for purdying up there here thing for y'all ... any mistakes are my own, as I tweaked & tinkered after they were done with it. Also, much love & undying gratitude go to _**Drowning In Chaos**_ for the gorgeous banner she created for this story. A link to her fics is on my profile...please go check them out. And last, but oh so far from least, spankings, nibbles, & all sorts of loving naughtiness belong to _**readingmama/Vampmama/Officer Spread 'Em**_ for organizing yet another fantabulously wonderific FAGE!


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